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The Life Cycle of a Cult can be characterized by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

A dominant personality or figureheads present a revolutionary approach that promises a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to confront the system overseas. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, naked, nervous, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest as a statement, has come staggering from the field and is removed with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you ever miss the start, when optimism reigned? The initial phase, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects guarantee a reboot, hope for a future, support, redemption among a group with shared faith in the big idea.

How did it feel at first? Players celebrating basking in glory. Body art. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Of course, The squad will claim they don’t use the label, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the player playing a shot so depraved it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of the leader at his peak, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you almost imagine to look down and find him positioned at mid-off stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman still being allowed to talk in press conferences, resembling a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the energy, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Unity enforced via memorization of mantras. These principles are often illogical to prove commitment.

Am I alone? The backlash, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat appears excessive, overdone. The batting collapsed during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated while bowling in a short span as plans unraveled, outplayed by the opponent imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a performer excelling with brilliance.

Currently, we see the pile-on, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be purged, destroyed, overwhelmed by the vengeful purity of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of Scott Boland, marking achievements modestly as if receiving a rewarding prize. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It turns to hostility externally.

The fact remains, half a week out the upcoming game, we are at a delicious point of tension in the journey of this approach. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it seems we really might be entering the decline.

Before that happens, a couple of points worth saying about this. In the past, at the start, of passion and hope, a column appeared calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of the philosophy.

Recent events lately are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, hey, that thing you love and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s not serious after all.

Here lies the truth. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a circle, an elite gathering, a closed world with a long history of ceremonial past behind it. It has long been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the imperial sport of England, the original sports washers. And guess what, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a royal family remains.

The players have been sealed up in this environment for years. Seeking change, to foster positivity, they are just repeating their past, building another enclosure, a closed circle, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader promoting authenticity if you fit the mold.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

With this mind, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for the movement, to appreciate its good points, which are significant. What does it represent? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with